Stars-Canucks Preview

Associated Press

After three straight losses, the Vancouver Canucks' longest homestand of the season seems to be starting at a beneficial time. The Dallas Stars, though, have benefited from most of their time on the road.

Off to the best 13-game start in franchise history, the Stars look to continue their success away from home Monday when they face a Canucks team beginning a stretch of six straight games at GM Place.

Dallas (11-2-0) has won three straight, is off to its best start since going 9-4-0 in 1996-97 and trails Anaheim by two points for the Western Conference's top spot.

The Stars are coming off a 3-2 win over Edmonton on Friday in the opener of a four-game trip. Dallas is off to the best road start in team history, outscoring opponents 21-11 en route to a 6-1-0 record.

The Stars opened the scoring Friday with a goal from Brenden Morrow and are unbeaten when scoring the first goal (7-0-0).

"Nightly, we find new heroes," Stars goaltender Marty Turco said. "It's not so much that we are 11-2, it's how we've played and how we've got here with everybody contributing. ... I've never seen this kind of hungriness - and not just on game day, it's every day at practice and in the gym."

Turco is a big reason behind Dallas' fast start.

He stopped 24 shots against the Oilers, with two of his best saves coming on a 3-on-2 rush, and is among the league leaders with nine wins and a 1.99 goals-against average. Turco has done well in 15 games against Vancouver (7-7-1), going 12-2 with a 1.69 GAA.

Mike Modano, who leads the Stars with eight goals, has also been successful against the Canucks with 29 goals and 40 assists in 58 games.

Vancouver's losing streak includes two straight on the road. The Canucks are 2-2-0 at home after going 25-10-6 there last season. After Monday's game, they host Anaheim, Calgary, Detroit, St. Louis and conclude the homestand against Chicago.

Vancouver lost 3-2 to Colorado on Saturday night. It was the second straight game that goaltender Roberto Luongo felt he had been hurt by poor officiating.

Colorado tied the game 92 seconds into the second period when Brett Clark slapped a shot that deflected off Andrew Brunette's stick past Luongo, who jumped up and pleaded with referee Bill McCreary to waive it off because of interference.

In a 5-2 loss to Minnesota on Thursday night, a goal by Todd White was initially waved off for kicking, but a video review reversed the original call, infuriating Luongo and Canucks coach Alain Vigneault.

"Those are things that you have to fight through," Vigneault said. "Louie has to fight through it, too. He can play better, and hopefully he will do that for us through the next homestand."

Vancouver left wing Markus Naslund scored his team-leading seventh goal with 53 seconds left in the first period Saturday.